Exploring Bermuda?s landscapes is what Heather MacDonald does through her atwork.

Her new show is opening this evening with a private viewing at Jardine House, on Reid Street. The show will run until December 9.

This series of work is a continuation of her previous exploration of Bermuda scenes focusing on the unique shapes and colours of the Island.

?I have focused on scenes from my everyday life, some of which I?ve seen so frequently, and at every time of day, that they are almost photographs in my mind,? Ms MacDonald said.

?My compositions are not of characteristic scenes of Bermuda such as Horseshoe Bay, but the unnoticed beauty of foliage on the side of the street or the glimpse of the sea between trees and bushes.?

Her work reflects her love of the impressionists.

?It often borders on the abstract and many of the scenes are painted from memory and this makes it easier for me to experiment,? she said.

?This has resulted in exaggerated compositions with dramatic colours.?

During her last show, many of her paintings were very large. ?This time I have reduced the scale of my paintings,? she said.

?Some are actually quite small and much to my surprise, I really enjoyed painting smaller works. It was an interesting challenge and required a different approach.?

Ms MacDonald has been painting ever since she was a little girl.

She initially studied advertising, but decided to move more towards the more creative side.

She recently graduated from the arts programme at the Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas, where, she said: ?I refined my oil painting techniques and explored other mediums including black and white, colour and alternative process photography, in addition to sculpture and welding.

?Photography definitely helped me develop in all areas of the fine arts. It taught me to focus on the importance of composition as well as the interesting impact of forms of soft focus.?

She will be showing some 30 pieces during this exhibition which is being held in the building where her father works.

?It is becoming more and more difficult for artists in Bermuda to find a suitable venue to show their art,? she said.

?There are few commercial art galleries and the Bermuda Society of Arts Gallery, in City Hall, is booked solid for almost two years.

?My father has office space in Jardine House and offered to let me use it to show my work. We will be temporarily converting his offices into an art gallery but all the while, his business will continue to operate.

?As a result, viewing is by appointment by calling 747-0209.?

When asked where her inspiration comes from, she said: ?Foremost, I have to be creating something.

?I feel lost and out of sorts when I?m not doing something creative with my hands. I think most artists feel this way ? there is a stronger force that makes you create.

?I draw inspiration from all sources. It is something I don?t look for, but let it happen. I can?t help but be influenced by the vivid colours and landscape of Bermuda, but I am also inspired by less aesthetically beautiful things like the hue of the tarmac and the colour and texture of dead grass.?

Ms MacDonald was the youngest local artist to have work in the 2002 Barcardi Biennial when she entered three of her black and white photographs. During the 2004 Barcardi Biennial, one of her larger abstract paintings was accepted. She also had a piece in the Bermuda National Gallery?s retrospective, Painting Bermuda, 200 Years of Changing Tradition.

Most of her paintings are oil on canvas.

?The oils on canvas have more of a textured feel,? she said.

?I experiment with mixing unusual colours and see how they react together on the canvas. To me these paintings work well due to the soft fields of colour contrasted by sharper, defined brush strokes.

?I purposefully, paint from memory. I think about a place or scene and allow my sense of colour to emerge. The dreamlike nature of the work is the effect of painting from memory.?